Card tabulating machine



Jan. 5, 1937.

; c. A. TRIPP CARD TABULATING MACHINE Filed March 28, 1931 7 Sheets-Sheetl Wm M W Jan 5, 1937. c. A. TRIPP CARD TABULATING MACHINE Filed March 28,- 1931 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 0' @h@ o" Q 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 5, 1937. c. A. TRIPP CARD TABULATING MACHINE Filed March 28, 1931 l/KSUM TIGN Jan; 5, 1937. c; A. TRIPP CARD TABULATING MACHINE Filed March 28, 1931 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 7 r I a M MMIHH 1937. c1 A. TRIPP I CARD TABULATING MACHINE 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 28, 1931 I lfllllllllllllll llllllllllllll 5 m 1 I 2 M m m 1.; H l 1 6 W :wlli 5.; 5.: m MJ wk I; n 0 M w M 2 H 1 z 6 7 u W m 3 m w W H 1 MN m M M 4 Mat 1| w C A. TRIPP CARD TABULAT ING MACH INE Jan;5,1937.'

Filed March 28, 1931 7 Sheets-Sheet ,7

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Patented Jan. 5, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CARD TABULATING MACHINE Application March 28, 1931, Serial No. 526,096

1 Claim.

This invention is concerned with punched card accounting machines oi! the type in which punched cards containing group-designating holes and item-designating holes are, after having been sorted into groups, successively presented to the machine which records the individual items and takes a total thereof after each group. A machine somewhat similar to the one with which the present invention is concerned is shown and described in co-pending patent application Serial No. 526,095, filed March 28, 1931, now Patent 1,978,919, issued October 30, 1934.

The present invention differs from that of the prior application above mentioned in that the construction of the machine andthe arrangement of the electrical circuits which control the operation thereof are considerably simplified by the invention described in this application. Further, in the present invention, an accounting mechanism is utilized having two sets of accumulators, which enables taking individual totals of the items of each group'of cards and, at the end of a run of cards consisting of several groups, to take a grand total of the items represented by cards of such groups. The type of tion is known as the Burroughs type and is shown in United States Patent 919,656. 'The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention: Fig. 1 is a plan view of the'machine 1 illustrating the preferred arrangement of the various parts; Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical sections respectively on the correspondingly numbered section-lines of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a. plan view of d the adding machine keyboard with the heads of some of the keys removed; Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the housing which contains the key-actuating magnets; Fig. 6 is a plan view in partial section illustrating details of the construction of the clutch which actuates the totaling "commutator; Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section through one of the key-actuating magnets; Fig. 8 is a plan view of one of the selector units; Fig. 9 is a vertical section on the line 9-4 of 0 Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the selector unit illustrated in Fig. 8; Fig. 11 is a fragmental elevation illustrating the arrangement of the blow-out magnet; Fig. 12 is a plan showing the pin switch and blow-out magnet; Fig. 13 is a diagrammatic showing of the electrical circuits; and Fig. 14 is a view illustrating an elevation of the card-stopping mechanism.

The adding machine which is embodied in the invention may be of any desired 'make, but it is illustrated and described as embodying a maadding machine shown in the present appllcachine of the well-known Burroughs type. This machine has a keyboard containing columns of amount keys 20, there being in each column nine keys corresponding respectively to the nine digits. The number of columns may be anything de- 5 sired. In addition to the amount-keys, there are present on the keyboard the regular non-add key 2|, thesub-total key 22, the total key 23, the repeat key 24, the error key 25, and the actuating or handle key 26. concerned with the non-add" key or the repeat key or their respective functions.

- The adding machine illustrated in the drawings is ofthetype employing two sets of adder or accumulator wheels, known respectively as 15 the upper and lower accumulators. In addition to the control keys describedabove, the keyboard includes an accumulator lever 21 which may be operated to bring either set 0! the. accumulator wheels into co-operation with the swinging sec- 20 tors. The keyboard also has a total-transfer key 28, by means of which is eflected the clearing of one set of accumulator wheels and the transfer of the total therein to the other set of accumulator wheels. I

In the normal operation of this adding machine, the amount keys are successively set to correspond to the respective items which are to be added, and between each setting of the amount keys, the handle key 26 is depressed to efl'ect the 30 recording of the item and the adding of the amount into one set of accumulator wheels. After the last item is recorded, the handle key 26 is depressed to produce, a spacing of the adding machine tape and to return to the zero position 5 any of the sectors of the adding machine which have carried during the last item-recording cycle.

One set of accumulator wheels commonly designated as the upper accumulators, now con- 0 accumulators containing such total, but to preserve the total. in the machine on the other set of accumulators, the total-transfer key 28 is held The invention is not 1 down and the handle key 26 is depressed. During the cycle so instituted, the total in the upper accumulators will be printed and transferred to the lower accumulators. Upon the resumption of item-recording, the successive amounts are successively added into the upper accumulators and the total in the lower accumulators remains undisturbed. This method of operating the machine is employed when it is desired to record groups of items, to show the total of each group, and at the completion of recording to show the grand total of all the groups.

Either set of accumulators may be cleared by operating the lever 21 to bring such accumulators into co-operation with the adding machine sectors, by holding down the total key 23, and then depressing the handle key 26.

To operate the various keys of the adding machine, there is mounted over the keyboard a casing Ill within which, on a suitable frame 3!, are mounted a plurality of amount-key setting magnets 32 in the form of solenoids having armatures 33 which co-operate with the amount-keys 20 and are drawn downward when the magnets 32 are energized. Co-operating with the error key, the total-transfer key, and the handle key 25 are similarly arranged magnets, 35, 35, and 31 which when energized effect respectively the depression of such keys. The circuits of these various magnets are controlled in accordance with the location of holes in the punched cards which are supplied to the machine.

The card feeding and sensing mechanism is conveniently mounted on a frame 40 that may support an electric motor ll which, through a belt 42, a worm l3, and worm gear 44, drives the mainshaft 45 of the machine.

The cards to be sensed, after having been arranged into groups, are stacked in a hopper 50 shown at the left of Figs. 2 and 3. Horizontally slidable below the hopper 50 is a picker plate 5| which is provided with an upwardly projecting shoulder 52 of just suflicient height to engage the edge of the lowest card in the hopper. For the purpose of reciprocating the picker plate 5i, it is link-connected to the upper end of a lever 53 which is pivotally supported from the frame 40 of the machine. The lower end of the lever 53 is slotted for the'reception of a pin 54 carried by a rod 55 which is horizontally reciprocable in bearings 55. The rod 55 is provided at its inner end with a cam roller which engages a feed cam 58 carried by the main shaft 45. Normally, the roller 51 is held in engagement with the cam 58 by means of a compression spring 59 which tends to force the rod 55 inward.

In the, operation of the machine, the cam 55 revolves and causes reciprocation of the rod 55 and picker plate 5|. At each reciprocation of the picker plate, the lowest card in the hopper 50 will ,be forced outward far enough to enter between the first pair of feed rolls 5!) and 6|. There are a plurality of pairs of such feed rolls, and they extend in a horizontal series across the machine to carry the cards from the hopper 50 to a second or discharge hopper 62. The lower feed rolls 50 are all rigid respectively with gears 53 which are connected by idler gears 64 so that all the rolls 50 revolve in the same direction. One of the gears 63 is adapted to be driven from the main shaft 45 as by means of the gears 65 and 65. Each of the upper feed rolls 6! is springpressed downward into engagement with its associated lower roll 50 in orderthat it may rotate therewith.

The cards while being fed successively from the hopper 50 to the discharge hopper 62 pass across a sensing plate 10 below which is mounted a pin box 1i vertically reciprocable in guides I2. The pin box may be reciprocated by means of a cam I2 carried on the main shaft 45. The pin box carries a plurality of upwardly springpressed pins 13 which are adapted to pass through correspondingly located holes in the sensing plate and are arranged in columns corresponding to the arrangement of holes in the cards which are to be sensed; As shown, each column comprises ten sensing pins. Mounted on the pin box II is a card stop 14 which reciprocates in close proximity to the discharge side of the sensing plate 10. The card stop 14 extends upward beyond the upper ends of the pins 13 in order that it may engage and definitely locate on the sensing plate the card to be sensed before such card is engaged by the sensing pins 13. When a card is stopped on the sensing plate by the stop 14, the lower feed rolls 60 which engage such card slip on the face of the card and do not operate to move the card off the plate until after the card stop 14 has been retracted in the downward movement of the pin box.

Each of the pins 13 is spring-pressed upward by means of a coil spring 15. The upward movement of each pin I3 under the influence of its associated spring 15 is limited as by means of a collar I6 adapted to engage the top of the pin box.

Mounted above the sensing plate III is a block of insulating material in the lower face of which are arranged a plurality of contacts 5| disposed similarly to the sensing pins 13.

When the pin box "H is moved upwardly by the cam 12', the sensing pins 13 engage the card which is then on the sensing plate 10, and those pins which find holes in the card pass through such holes and make electrical contact with the corresponding contacts 8|. Preferably, the contacts so made do not immediately complete electrical circuits but merely make possible the later completion of circuits which control the operation of the adding machine by energizing various control magnets.

In order that any column of contacts 8| may be arranged to control any column 01' adding machine keys 20, the contacts 8| are not directly connected to the key-actuating solenoids 32 (Fig. 13) but are connected to gang jacks 82. Each of the gang jacks 82 comprises nine individual Jacks connected respectively to nine of the contacts BI in one of the columns of contacts. The zero contact 8| is not connected to any contact 82 as there is no zero key to be depressed on the adding machine. The zero contact 8|. however, is connected to one of the electromagnets 9| for control purposes as described elsewhere. To co-operate with the gang jacks 82 there are gang plugs 83, each of which comprises nine individual plugs connected respectively to the windings of the solenoids 32 in onecolumn of such solenoids. Any one of the gang plugs 83 can be inserted in any of the gang Jacks 82, and thus any column of contacts 8| can be connected to any column of amount-key setting solenoids 32.

As the machine operates and cards are passed successively across the sensing plate 10 and are sensed, certain of the pins 13 pass through holes in each card corresponding to the item of such card which it is desired to record and to add into the adding machine. After contact has been made between certain of the pins 13 and their 75 associated contacts 8|, circuits are completed by means which will be described hereinafter, such circuits effecting the depression of amountkeys corresponding to the item designated by the arrangement of item-designating holes in the card then on the sensing plate. Following the depression of the amount-keys, the handle key 26 is depressed by means which will be described in detail later, and this depression of the handle key effects the recording of the item on the adding machine tape and the adding of the item into the upper adding machine accumulators. This operation is repeated at each cycle of the feeding and sensing mechanism during which cards having the same group-designation are fed across the sensing plate. When a card of a new group comes on the plate, it is usually desirable to interrupt the card feed and to cause the adding machine to print a total or to perform some other operation different from that which it performs as long as the cards passing across the sensing plate are all of the same group.

To detect the presence on the sensing plate of a card having a new group designation, to interrupt the card feed, and to cause the desired operation of the adding machine, selectors which have been described in Patent 1,208,051 may be employed. The present machine employs a plurality of these selectors, there being one selector for each column of holes in the punched cards which is apt to be used in group designation. These selectors are conveniently mounted on the under side of the frame 40 as shown in Fig. 3.

The construction of the selector unit is shown in detail in Figs. 8, 9, and 10. Each unit comprises a base on which is mounted a series of electro-magnets 9| corresponding in number to the number ofpins 13 in each column of pins in the pin box II, As shown in Fig. 13, each selector unit includes ten of the magnets 9I. Mounted above the base 90, as by being pivotally supported from standards 90, and extending longitudinally thereof is a rod 92 from which are supported armatures 93 for the various magnets 9I, such armatures being separately rotatable on the rod 92. Preferably, 'eachof the armatures 93 is mounted on a block 94 of insulating material, each of such blocks being rotatable on the rod.92. At its rear upper corner each of the blocks 94 is notched for the reception of a bar 95 which extends through the notches in all the blocks 94 and at its ends is mounted in arms 96 which are rigidly attached to the rod 92. On each of the blocks of insulating material 94 there is mounted a contact finger 91 which forms an electrical contact with the bar 95 when such bar is seated in the notch of the blocl; 94.

When any one of the armatures is drawn downward by reason of the energization of its associated magnet 9|, the rod 95 is moved upwardly out of contact with all the contact fingers 91 except that contact finger mounted on the block 94 which raised the bar 95. To prevent accidental lowering of any armature 93 which is associated with an unenergized magnet and to tend to retain in depressed position any armature which has been drawn downward by its associated magnet, each armature,- at its free end, engages a spring 98 of the form shown in Fig. 9. Each of the springs 98 may be adjusted by means of an adjusting screw 99.

For the purpose of re-setting the selector unit, there is provided a re-setting magnet IOI associated with which is an armature I02 rigid with the arm 96 and rod 92. When the re-sett'mg magnet IIJI is energized, the armature I02 will be drawn to the right to the position shown in Fig. 10 to cause a counter-clockwise rotation of the rod 92, lowering of the bar 95 to the position shown, and raising of any armature 93 which has previously been depressed so as to place it in the position of Fig. 9.

As the machine is operated and the cards are successively fed across the sensing plate and sensed, the selector units. by a process which will be described in detail later, detect any difference in the group-denoting characteristics of the first card of a new group which arrives on the sensing plate. The change in group designation thus detected is made to cause an interruption in the card feed and to cause the adding machine to be operated to print a total, to clear one set of accumulators, and to add into the other set of accumulators the total printed.

To interrupt the card feed when the first card of a new group is sensed on the plate 10, there is provided a solenoid I95 having a coil I 96 which is moved upward when the solenoid is energized to engage a notch IIJ'Iin the rod 55 and thus to hold such rod in retracted position with the cam roller 51 out of engagement with the feed cam 58. This latching in retracted position of the rod 55 permits the feed cam to rotate with out causing the feeding of any cards from the hopper 50.

The first card of a new group which causes the interruption of the card feed contains items which are to be added into the adding machine:

after the total is printed. and it is therefore necessary that this card be retained on the sensing plate until after the total in the adding machine has been printed. To accomplish this result, there is mounted above the sensing plate I9 and substantially in alinement with the card stop 74 an auxiliary card stop which may conveniently take the form of one or more pins III! operatively connected to the movable core of a solenoid III. One or more springs .I I2 are provided for normally holding the'pins in raised position so that they lie wholly above the plane of the cards passing across the sensing plate. Upon energization of the solenoid III the pins I I0 are lowered sufficiently to prevent the discharge of the card then on the sensing plate. As the pins IID must be lowered while the stop I4 is in a ra sed position. the stop 14 is provided with notches 14a (Fig. 14) which are in alinement with the pins.

The cessation of the card feed which is pro- I duced when the first card of a new group enters on. the plate 10 may continue for any desired number of revolutions of the man shaft 45 but it has been found convenient and sufficient to provide for the interruption of the card feed for thr e revolutions of the main shaft. For this purpose. there is provided mating I-3 gears II 5 a d H6, thesmaller of which (the gear II5) may be made to rotate at the same snced as does the main shaft and is conveniently rotatably mounted thereon as is clear from Fig. 6. Any convenient clutching mechanism may be employed to clutch the gear I I5 tothe shaft 45. The grar H6 is rigid with a shaft II! which carries a commutator H8. The commutator II8 controls the operations which occur while the card feed is interrupted-and causes a resumption of the card feed upon the completion of such operations.

- supported lever I23 One form of clutch which may be employed to clutch the gear II5 to the shaft 45 is illustrated in Fig. 6. The outer face of the hub of the gear H5 is provided with one or more clutch teeth I20 adapted to engage corresponding teeth in the adjacent face of a clutch member I2I which rotates with the shaft 45 and is slidable therealong so that it may be engaged with and disengaged from the hub gear H5. The clutch member I2I is provided with a circumferential groove I22 which receives one end of a pivotally the other end of which is adapted to enter a notch in a disc I24 rotatable with the shaft H1 and commutator H0. When the clutch member I2I is disengaged from the hub of the gear II5, the lever I23 is received in the notch in the disc I24, and the commutator III and gears H5 and I I are prevented from rotating. when the clutch member I2I is moved into engagement with the hub of the gear II5, the lever I23 leaves the notch in the gear I24 and permits the commutator II3 to be driven through the medium of the gears H and I I0. The clutch member I2I remains in engagement with the hub of the gear II5 until the commutator H0 and the disc I24 have made one complete revolution, at the completion of which the lever I23 is permitted to move into the notch of the disc I24 thus causing disengagement of the clutch member I2I from the hub of the gear H5 and stopping the rotation of the commutator IIO.

To operate the clutch member I2I there is provided a solenoid I25 which is stationarily mounted adjacent the end of the shaft 45, such shaft-end extending into and part way through such solenoid. The clutch member I2I is provided with a hub I2I' which also extends into the axial hole in the solenoid I25. The hub "ZI extends beyond the end of the shaft 45 and has rigidly mounted within it beyond such shaft-end a core I between which and the end of the shaft 45 there acts a spring I21 tending to separate the clutch member I2I from the gear H5.

When the solenoid I is de-energized, the spring 'I21 serves to hold the gear I I5 and clutch member I2I disengaged so that the shaft 45 is free to rotate relative to the gear II5 which is loose on the shaft. Upon energization of the solenoid, the core I20 is drawn toward the end of the shaft and carries the clutch member I2I which is keyed to shaft 45 at I2Ia, with it to cause the gear I I5 to be clutched to the shaft 45.

In addition to the totaling commutator IIO, there is provided a second commutator I which rotates at the same rate as the main shaft 45, and is conveniently mounted on such main shaft as is clear from Figs. 3 and 11. Co-operating with the commutator I30 is a movable brush "II which may be pivotally mounted in a suitable support I32 and spring-pressed into engagement with the commutator I30 by means of a spring I33. The brush I3I is so arranged as to form an armature for an electro-magnet I35 which when energized serves to withdraw the brush from contact with the commutator I30. To prevent arcing when the brush "I is separated from the commutator I30, there is provided a blow-out magnet I31 the core of which is provided with extensions I30 and I30 to form a magnetic field across the point of separation of the brush and the commutator.

The general arrangement of the electrical connections is shown in Fig. 13 in which the various parts of my machine are illustrated somewhat diagrammatically. One side of the supply circuit, here shown as the positive side, is connected to brushes I and I40 which contact respectively with the commutators I30 and H0. The brush I3l which co-operates with the commutator I30 is connected through the blow-out magnet I31 with all the sensing pins 13 in the pin box 1|. As has been above described, the contacts 0| are connected through the Jacks 82 and plugs 33 with the windings of the amountkey setting solenoids 32. The other ends of the windings of the solenoids 32 are connected to a common bus wire I41 which leads to one individual plug of a gang plug I40. Also connected to the bus wire I41 is one end of the windin of each of the solenoids 35, 36, and 31 which operate respectively the error key, the total transfer key, and the handle key of the adding mechanism. The other ends of the windings of the three last-mentioned solenoids are connected respectively to individual plugs in the gang plug I40. The gang plug I40 is adapted to be received inga gang jack I40 in which the individual jack (the lowest one of the four) which receives the plug connected to the bus wire I41, is connected to the negative side of the supply circuit.

The contacts 0| making up one column of contacts are connected respectively with one end of each of the windings of the magnets 0| in one of the selector units. The other end of the winding. of each selector magnet is connected to its associated contact armature 03. The bar 05 of each selector unit is connected to one contact I of a relay I5I associated with such selector unit and having a winding one end of which is connected to the contact I50 and the other end of which is connected to the negative side of the supply circuit. The armatures I52 of the relays I5I are all connected to a brush I53 which cooperates with the commutator I30. The relay contacts I54, which are those contacts engaged by their respective armatures when the associated relays are de-energized, are connected in common by a wire I55 which leads to a brush I50 associated with the total commutator I I0. The clutch magnet I25 is connected between the wire I55 and the negative side of the supply circuit. Also connected between the wire I55 and the negative side of the supply circuit, through the plug and jack I40 and I40 is the error key magnet 35.

The selector reset magnets IOI are all connected in multiple between the negative side of the supply circuit and the brush I51 connected to one end of the commutator IIO. Also connected between the brush I51 and the negative side of the supply circuit is the solenoid 30 which operates the total-transfer key. The brush-lifting magnet I35, the feed-stop magnet I05 and the card-stop magnet III are connected in multiple between the negative side of the supplycircuit and the brush I50 which co-operates with the totaling commutator IIO.

Associated with the commutator I30 is a brush I50 which is connected through the plug I40 and jack I40 with the solenoid 31 which operates the handle-key of the adding machine.

Each selector unit may be arranged to be connected to any column of contacts II by means of the plugs and jacks shown in Patent 1,978,919, previously mentioned; or means may be provided, as shown in this application, for rendering any desired selector unit or units inoperative to detect changes in the designating characteristics of the cards. The ability of the selector unit to detect card changes depends upon the separation of the bar 95 from all the contacts 91 whose associated armatures have not been drawn downward. Means may be provided for preventing the separation of the bar 95 from any of the contacts 91 in any selector unit and such selector unit thus rendered ineifective to detect changes in the cards. To this end, each selector unit is provided with some means which will prevent rotation of the rod 92, thus holding down the bar 95 and preventing downward movement of any of the armatures 93. A pin or plug I60 (Figs. 8 and 10) may be provided which when passed through a suitable hole in one of the standards which support the rod 92 will engage the armature I02 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8. Armature I02 is fixed to arm 96 which is fixed on shaft 92. This will prevent clockwise rotation of the rod 92.

Another means of accomplishing this result is to provide switch plugs as indicated at A Fig. 13. The withdrawal of any such plug, and hence the opening of the circuit from the contact I54 of its corresponding selector unit, will make such unit incapable of initiating a total taking cycle.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

It is assumed that the cards to be sensed are arranged in groups in the hopper 50 with all the cards of one group together. At the start of a run, the bar of each selector unit is in its lower position and all the armatures 93 are raised. The reset magnets I0| are de-energized, as are also the relay magnets I5I. The armatures I52 of the relays are all in contact with the contacts I54. The clutch magnet I25 is de-energized and the shaft 45 is therefore free to rotate without rotating the gear I I5 which is loose on said shaft. The feed-stop magnet I05 and the card-stop magnet III are de-energized so as not to interfere with the feeding of cards across the sensing plate. The brush lifting magnet I35 is de-energized and the brush |3I is in contact with the commutator I30.

In setting up the machine, the plugs 83 are so arranged in the jacks 82 that the items on the cards will be recorded in the desired location on the adding machine tape. Those selector units which are connected to columns of contacts corresponding to columns of holes in the punched card which are group-designating columns are made ready for operation by the removal of the plugs I60 or insertion of plugs A, while those selector units which are associated with columns of contacts corresponding to columns of holes in the punched-card which do not designate group are rendered inoperative by the insertion of the plugs I60, or removal of plugs A.

With the machine set up in the manner described, it is started, and cards previously sorted into groups are fed successively across the sensing plate. As each card passes across the sensing plate, the pin box rises, the card stop 14 locates' the card definitely on the plate, and the pin box, continuing upward, permits those sensing pins which find holes in the card to pass through the card into contact with the corresponding contacts 8|. As has been stated above, no circuits are completed when the pins engage the contacts 8|. The pinbox remains raised for an interval and engagement of the pins 13 and contacts 8| is maintained until the commutator I30 engages the brush I3I. This engagement completes a circuit from the positive side oi. the line through the brush I45 to commutator I30.

brush I3|,' blow-out magnet I31, pins I3, contacts 8|, jacks 82, plugs 03 and amount-key setting solenoids 32 to the negative side of the source. The resultant energization of the amount-key solenoids 32 depresses such keys and makes the adding machine ready for the recording and accumulating operation which follows immediately. Only part of the current flowing through the pins 13 and contacts 0| reaches the solenoids, as part of it passes through that selector magnet 9| in each selector unit which corresponds to that contact in the column of contacts which is associated with that selector unit. In those selector units which have not been rendered inoperative by the use of the pins I60 or withdrawal of plugs at A the energization of one of the selector magnets 9| draws downward the associated armature 93 and elevates the bar 95 so that its contact is broken with all the contact fingers 91 except that one which is associated with the armature whose depression caused the bar 95 to be raised. The current which causes this energization of one of the magnets 9| in each selector unit, after leaving the winding of the magnet 9|, flows through the contact flnger 91, bar 95, and relay I5I to the negative side of the supply circuit. The resultant energization of the relays I5| causes their armatures I52 to be drawn against their respective contacts I 50. The relay magnets I5I remain energized until the commutator I30 engages the brush I53, and

this engagement completes a holding circuit from the positive side of the supply circuit, through the brush I45 to commutator I30, brush I53, armatures I52, contacts I50, and relays 5| to the negative side ofthe supply circuit. Completion of the holding circuit, which is in parallel with the circuits through the pins and selector magnets, is made so that the armatures I52 will remain against the contacts I50 after the circuit through pins 13 is opened and until after the brush I53 has left the commutator I30.

At some time after the amount-keys have been set by the energization of the solenoids 32, the

commutator I30 comes into engagement with the.

brush I59 to complete a circuit from the positive side of the source through the brush I45 to commutator I30 and brush I59 and handle key magnet 31 to the negative side of the source. The.

energization bf the handle key magnet depresses the handle key and causes the adding machine to record the item denoted on the punchedcard then on the sensing plate and causes such item to be added into one set of the accumulators of the adding machine. At some time after the commutator segment I30 leaves the brush III, the pin box descends, the card which has just been sensed passes oif the sensing plate, and the next card takes its place.

These selector units which are rendered operative by the removal of the pins I60 and the insertion of plugs at A are now in a different condition from that which existed before the first card was sensed. Whereas before, the bar 95 in each controlling selector unit was in its lower position and in contact with all the fingers 91, now the bar 95 in each controlling selector unit is raised and is in contact with only one of the fingers 91. The contact finger 91 which still engages the bar 95 corresponds to that contact 9|, in the column of contacts associated with that selector unit, which was'opposite a hole in the card just previously sensed. The relay I" of each selector unit was de-energized when the commutator I30 moved out of contact from the brush I53; and as a result, the armatures I52 are all again in engagement with the contacts I54.

when the pin box rises to sense the second card, circuits are completed as before through the amount-key setting solenoids 32, and the corresponding amount-keys are depressed.- If the second card has the same group-designating characteristics as had the first, the circuits through the controlling selector units are completed as before; for in each selector unit, there is one contact finger 91 still in engagement with the bar 95, and this contact finger corresponds to the contact III which was engaged by a sensing pin I3 while the first card was sensed, and as the second card is of the same group as of the first, there is no difference in the location of holes in the group-designating columns of the card. The completion of the circuits through the selector units operates the relays I5I as before, and when the brush I59 is engaged by the commutator I30 the amount just set in the adding machine by the depression of the amount-keys will be recorded and added into the accumulators of the adding machine.

This cycle of operations is repeated as long as the cards being sensed belong to the same group. The first card of a new group will have in one of the group-designating columns a hole which is differently located from the hole in the corresponding column of previous cards. As a result, the sensing pin which passes through this differently located hole will engage a contact 0| corresponding to one of those contact fingers 01 which is not in contact with the bar 05. There may be a differently located hole in only one column, or the holes in other group-designating columns may be differently located. In any event, upon a change in group-designation, there will be at least one selector unit in which no circuit is completed to the bar 95. Thus, the relay I5I associated with that selector unit will not become energized, and its armature I52 will remain in engagement with the contact I54.

When the commutator. I30 engages the brush I53, a circuit will be completed from the positive side of the supply line through the brush I45 to commutator I30, brush I53, the armature I52 of that relay I5I which was not energized upon completion of the pin circuit, the contact I54 of such relay, and the clutch magnet I25 to the negative side of the supply circuit. The current flowing through this circuit branches before passing through the clutch magnet I25, and part of the current flows through the error key magnet 35 to the negative side of the supply line. Energization of the error key magnet does not immediately raise those amount-keys which have Just been depressed as such keys are still held in lowered position by their associated solenoids 32. If any plug A has been removed no circuit can be completed through the associated relay armature I52 and contact I54, thus rendering any change in the corresponding selectorunit inoperative to effect energization of the clutch magnet I25 or the error key magnet 35.

The energization of the clutch magnet I25 which occurred when the commutator I30 engaged the brush I53, causes the gear III to be clutched to the shaft 45 and initiates rotation of the totaling commutator.

Following this, the totaling commutator III engages the brush I53 to complete a circuit from the positive side of the supply source through the brush I45, commutator II5, brush I53, and

thence in parallel through the card-feed-stopmagnet I05, the card-retaining magnet III, and the brush lifting magnet I35, to the negative side of the supply circuit. As has been above described, the card-feed-stop magnet I05, when energized, interrupts reciprocation of the rod 55 and causes the stopping of the card feed. Energization of the card-retaining magnet I II causes depression of the pins H0 and retains on the sensing plate the first card of the new group. The lifting of the brush I3I from the commutator I30 interrupts the flow of current through the key actuating solenoids thus permitting descent of the error key and the raising of the amount keys previously set.

After the error key has been depressed, and after the brush I3I has been raised the commutator I30 engages the brush I59 to cause depression of the handle key as has been before described. This depression of the handle key produces a blank or spacing cycle of the adding machine, as the amount-keys previously depressed have been raised by the actuation of the error key. This blank cycle of the adding machine produces a spacing of the adding machine tape and provides for the return to normal zero position of any adding machine sectors which have carried" in the previous item-recording cycle. 7

Following the interruption of the card feed, the totaling commutator IIO engages the brush I 55 to complete a circuit through the clutch magnet I25, such circuit remaining closed throughout nearly all the rotation of the commutator II8.

All the operations just described have occurred during the first third of the rotation of the totaling commutator II8. During the second third of the rotation of the commutator III, the circuits already closed by such commutator remain closed, and in addition there is completed a circuit from the positive side of the supply source, through brush I30 the commutator II3, brush I51, and thence in parallel through all the reset magnets IM and total key magnet 35 to the negative side of the supply circuit. The reset magnets IOI reset their respective selectors by drawing the bars 05 downward and moving to raised position all the armatures 03. The completion of a circuit through the total transfer key magnet 35 depresses the total transfer key so that later, when the commutator I30 engages the brush I50 to cause depression of the handle key, the total in one'set of accumulators in the adding machine will be printed and transferred to the other set, and the first set of accumulators cleared.

The commutator III leaves the brush I51 before the next actuation of the handle key, and when, during the last third of the rotation of the commutator N0, the commutator I30 engages the brush I 59, a spacing cycle of the adding machine will be produced to provide a spacing between the group total just printed and the first item of the next group of cards.

In the above described operations all of the accumulating has been done on what is commonly known as the upper accumulators, and when the total has been taken what is commonly known as the "transfer total" key has been depressed, so that the total of the items which have been accumulated in the upper accumulators have been printed and transferred to another set of accumulators ordinarily known as the "lower" set. before the upper accumulators are cleared.

If, as is frequently the case, after a certain number of groups of cards has been run through the machine, and the individual totals 01. these groups taken, it is desired to obtain the grand total, that is, the total of all of the total items which have been previously printed, one or more blank cards are placed above the group of cards following which the grand total is desired.

After the last totaling operation this blank card will be fed on to the pin plate I0, at which time the machine must be stopped manually. This may be done-by shutting ofi the current to the driving motor.

With the machine in this stopped position the accumulator lever 21, which heretofore has been in the upper position, so that all accumulating has been done and totals printed from the upper accumulators, is moved to the lower position, so that a total can be printed from the lower set of accumulators and these accumulators cleared. With the lever in this position the total key 23, that is, the total key which controls the lower set of accumulators, and which is not equipped with an operating solenoid, is depressed by hand and then the handle key depressed by hand which causes the adding machine to print a grand total and results in the clearing of the lower set of accumulators. Both sets of accumulators are now clear as the upper set was cleared -at the time at which the total of the last group of cards was printed. The counter lever can now be moved back to the upper" position, and the machine is ready for further operation as previously described.

What is claimed is:

A machine for operating an accounting machine of the class described having an adding machine provided with accumulators, amount setting keys for causing accumulation in one of the accumulators, and a transfer control member for causing the transfer of a total from the accumulator receiving entries under control of the keys to another accumulator, comprising record sensing means, group control mechanism controlled by a part of the sensing means, resetting devices for said group control mechanism, means controlled by another part of said sensing means for controlling said amount setting keys, and means including a total taking commutator device controlled by said group control mechanism for eflecting concurrent operation of said transfer member and said resetting devices.

WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY, By ELWYN EVANS,

Vice-President, ELIZABETH W. TRIPP, Exeoutors of the Estate of Charles A. Tripp,

Deceased. 

